WHO CARED

WHO CARED is a digital archive for care migration. It publishes video interviews with people who came to Germany to work in care professions. To begin with, the project focuses on the stories of nurses from the southern Indian state of Kerala. 

The initiator of the project is the Masala Movement e.V. association in Cologne. As a platform for transcultural creativity, Masala Movement connects people and projects to overcome stereotypes and shape an inclusive society. You can find out more about the association here. The association and its founders are closely linked to the South Indian community in Germany. A precursor to WHO CARED is the project Brown Angels, which was also implemented by Masala Movement.

You can conduct a video interview with a nurse from Kerala yourself. For this, take a look at our Get Involved Page um.

You can also support the project with a donation Here.

For the WHO CARED online archive, we edit the interviews into abridged versions and post them on the website.

We archive the cleaned full versions for research at Oral History Digital. To view them, you must apply for access with us.

We also use excerpts from the videos for Social Media and events to make the project more widely known, to involve others in the stories and to motivate even more people to tell their stories.

The project is supported by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and funded through donations. A significant portion of the work is done on a volunteer basis.

Your conversation partner fits WHO CARED if they: 

• in the 1960s or 1970s from Kerala, South India
• came to Germany
• to work in care

You don't have to be related.

You record the conversations themselves, as video. Should the interviewee feel very uncomfortable with this, you can record audio only. In any case, ensure that the audio quality is good – more information on this can be found here. Take a few selfies together before or after the chat and send them to us! 🙂

A mobile phone with a camera and a tripod are sufficient. If you wish, you can also use a microphone and lighting. We are also happy to send you our Toolbox or you come to our Studio in CologneHere we'll take care of the tech so you can focus on the conversation. Find here your variation.

The recording can be short (20-30 mins) or longer (2 hours). Let yourselves be guided by the conversation.

You need a quiet place with plenty of daylight and a neutral background. Do you live in Cologne and the surrounding area? Then come to us. into the studio.

No. Conduct the conversation in the language your conversation partner feels most comfortable with. You can also switch between languages, whichever feels most natural to you both.

We need your legal consent, on the one hand, to be able to process (shorten, reorder) and publish your conversation on our platform. It also includes a right of withdrawal. You can find the template here.

On the other hand, the interviewees should be able to make a self-determined and informed decision about what they say and what they don't. Therefore, it is important that you not only have consent signed, but also explain what is supposed to happen in the conversation. Here are a few tips:

• Ensure that nothing from the conversation is posted online without their consent and that they can withdraw this at any time.
• We need legal consent so that the video can be included in the archive, and this can only be done with a signature.
• Allow your conversation partner the opportunity to ask questions.
• While the camera is running, ask if they have acknowledged the consent form.

For the preparation of the videos and for social media, we look forward to

• Pictures of your conversation partner's childhood,
  Arrival in Germany, Life in Germany
• Letters, certificates, contracts
• anything else you find relevant

You can approach the conversation intuitively and ask what interests you. You can also our Question-Guide to enlist help. 

The following topics should ideally be covered:

• Childhood
• Departure and Farewell
• Migration to Germany
• Start of Work and Life
• Family
• Relationship with India/Germany
• Leisure
• Care in Germany today

Conversations about one's life story can bring back painful memories. In the parent-child context, these emotions can be particularly impactful. To help you prepare for this or to deal with it afterwards, psychotherapist Dolwin Canitz offers non-binding and free advice – by phone or video call, before or after the conversation. Feel free to contact me directly An Dolwen or email us at support@who-cared.com.

For tips on dealing with emotional situations, see „During the Recording“.

The conversation should primarily be fun for you. The aim is to hear the other person's life story from their perspective. You don't need to be professionals for this – you both have conversations in everyday life too. We are interested in everything that interests you.

General tips for the conversation can also be found I'm Question-Guide.

You can use the following points as a guide for structuring the conversation:

• Welcome
• Clarification on the discussion flow, intention, and added value
• Explanation and discussion regarding consent (legal and personal)
• Recording
• Follow-up

Take time to actively end the conversation and allow the other person the opportunity to reflect or add something. 

• I have no further questions. What about you? Do you have any thoughts you'd still like to share?“
• Question: How was the conversation for the person?. 
• Ask if she has any more questions.
• Ask if she is unsure about any part of the conversation and discuss whether that part should be cut out.
• Can you confirm if you are able to stick with the initial consent?.

In emotionally difficult situations, we often lose our ability to speak, or we want to quickly resolve unpleasant feelings. Psychotherapist Dolwin Canitz offers tips on how you can deal with this better:

1. Describe factually, What you observe: „I see you're about to cry.“
2. Observe and share what you feel: „It touches me to see you like this.“ Try to bear this unsettling moment and what you're feeling, without wanting to „resolve“ it immediately.
3. Reflect together the feelings: „What would tears say if they could speak?“
4. Give Appreciative feedbackIt's understandable that it evokes so much emotion.„
5. Reflect and acknowledge your conversation partner’s feelings: “That must have been very stressful.”
6. Hold space„Would you like to take a moment to catch your breath and have a break, or shall we continue talking?“, „You decide how much you're comfortable sharing right now.“
7. Summarise gently: „You have experienced a lot of pain, and we'll talk about it step by step – entirely at your own pace.“

After you've conducted the interview, we'll need the signed consent form first. Upload it. here high. You can also them by email to hello@who-cared.com send. Once we have reviewed them, we will send you an upload link for the video.

For the WHO CARED online archive, we edit the interviews into abridged versions and post them on the website.

We archive the cleaned full versions for research at Oral History Digital. To view them, you must apply for access with us.

We also use excerpts from the videos for Social Media and events to make the project more widely known, to involve others in the stories and to motivate even more people to tell their stories.

Yes. Once your video is live on the WHO CARED website, you'll receive an email from us.

Of course! We welcome any videos and audio tracks you send us. You can also motivate others to do so. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

If you or your conversation partner feel uncomfortable with the video afterwards, please send us an email at support@who-cared.com. We will most certainly find a solution or take the video down from the site.